Christie Blatchford: Social media emotion, whining about cyberbullying and other trends of which I’ve had enough

He was barely cold when his boyfriend “took to Twitter,” as the ghastly practice is now called, to grieve for him — and, oh yes, make the great singer’s death as much about him, Fadi Fawaz, as it was about Michael.

“It’s a xmas I will never forget finding your partner dead peacefully in bed first thing in the morning,” Fawaz tweeted the day after.

Forget for a minute the sheer magnificent illiteracy — whose partner was it he found? His, mine or yours? — Twitter, and social media of any sort, is not the place to do anything that is better done in private, which means pretty much everything of importance and everything that is fun.

Many of the stories about Michael’s death at the age of 53 also made much of the fact that he died alone, as though that rendered his dying more tragic.

Breaking news, dear cabbages: We all die alone, every single one of us, whether surrounded by weeping loved ones or, as will surely happen in my own case, swarmed by pragmatic cats, who will move in just after the blow flies and who in the ordinary course gaze upon me hungrily at the first signs of a cold.

Using social media to emote didn’t begin in 2016, but perhaps, if there is a merciful God, it will end then.

Other Completely Regrettable Trends and Things of Which I Have Had Enough:

– The enormous self-importance that burdens so many of us without a scintilla of supporting evidence, e.g., the hordes who alight upon the bus and immediately begin the most urgent checking of text/email/social media, as though they were all transplant surgeons or presidents-elect expecting the big message. Sweetie, if you or your work were really that critical, trust me, you wouldn’t be on the bus with moi.

– Female politicians complaining about cyberbullying and online misogyny. It’s a mean old online world. See “social media” above. IRL, people for the most part remain lovely and kind.

– The ritualistic obeisance to First Nations before the start of any political speech, school assembly, or, increasingly, sports event or concert. You know the drill: “We acknowledge we are standing here on the traditional land of the X nation and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.” It’s a nice conciliatory gesture and all, but wouldn’t it be more useful to settle all the outstanding treaty disputes and land claims?

– No-tip restaurants. Ugh. I used to go to a place where the food was as good as the wait staff; then it moved to a no-tip policy. All the great staff left. The food is the same, but the restaurant isn’t. I tipped anyway, but on the sly; it’s just easier to go somewhere else.

– The idea that outrage on social media is a measure of outrage in the real world; it isn’t. If people were actually that angry all the time